Many thanks are due to the Local Studies and Naval History sections of Plymouth Central
Library where these fine originals are kept for public inspection. Please enjoy these
images that show insights into military life and how in those far off days, the sheer size
of the army and navy made their influence into everyday life unavoidable.

Much fun is still locally here in Plymouth poked at sailors - "all the
nice girl`s love a sailor etc." - but what have we here!? In those distant days,
ship`s crews, and other military types ,could be away from the comfort of home and the
company of wives, mothers and girlfriends for anything up to 3 years, so they had a lot of
time on their hands. What did our "Jack" get up to? Amateur dramatics were
popular, later on in service lore these became known as "SODS" operas -
"ship`s own dramatic society" and were arranged by the government body
"ENSA" - every night something awful" this is called "fun on
board" and we have in 1896 a midshipman playing the part of
"TRILBY" and also a sub-lieutenant shows us his
"SILENT DANCING" - hhmmm, interesting at least, have a look! The next year in
1897 we have a Grand Vizier and his son and a fellow known as
"Pekoe`s Pal" aboard HMS Magnificent. Charming? To me whenever I hear Grand
Vizier I think of Pink Floyd and that classic album "Ummagumma."

There was a romanticism to life on board and the life and loves of Jolly Jack
Tar. These photographic studies keep that alive. All are first rate high quality images
that you will want to download and keep.

This Jack is having a quiet time by the searchlight or
"Holophote" on HMS Imperieuse, while these Jacks are up to all sorts. This
is called "Tars at Play." Here the gunnery
crew of HMS Renown pose for a relaxed photo by their Maxim gun. Those at bases ashore
had the benefits of home comforts and Cricket to relax with. Here we see the Senior Cricket Eleven of the Royal Naval Ordnance Dept. at Plymouth.
This fine photo could have been taken either at The Royal William Yard, or R.N.A.D.
Bullpoint, both places no longer functioning as intended, but Bullpoint is still used by
the military for disaster relief exercises. In the frame are the "Mercury Cup"
prize, a pile of 32lb. shot, two shells for the 111 ton naval gun, a maxim gun, and a 9pr.
R.M.L. (rifled muzzle loading) gun.

Life on board could be very luxurious...if you were an officer, or better still
a Captain! Here we see a 1897 Captain`s cabin on HMS Theseus and Surprise. Mind you, being a Lieutenant on HMS
Anson did not mean that you would have to slum it. The Ward Room
was rather nice too. Both these two photos are on board HMS Bruiser. This Captain`s cabin has more plants in it than a good hotel foyer, or Kew
Gardens even! However compared to an Admiral`s cabin, on HMS Renown,
they are a little ordinary!

Are you a Scout? Yes, then you will have heard of Baden-Powell. He was a Major
General at the time of the relief of Mafeking in the Boer war. When news of this victory a
large firework display was held in London at the Crystal Palace. I
bet you did not know however that a hobby of his was the design of table clothes, here are
two, the lancer pattern and the polo pattern.
Perhaps Baden-Powell would have seen sights such as this from Ladysmith.

By and large there are generally a lot of guns involved with a life in the
services. Not all are this big! This is a High Angle gun of 1897.

It is a 9.2inch piece, needing a powder charge of 270lb. giving it a range of
12 miles with a maximum ceiling of the projectile of 16,000 feet and a flight time of one
minute with a 382lb. Pallaiser projectile ( armour piercing with a cooled hardened tip).

High angle fire would give "plunging fire" designed to smash through
the less well armour plated upper decks of ships, coming in at a steep angle from a great
height above. This gun, a sort of very large machine gun is called a Nordenfelt
gun and would be used against boarding parties, even though these were few and far
between in these "modern times." These Long Lee Enfield .303 rifles and all the
tools to go with them in an armourer`s shop of the King`s
Shropshire Light Infantry, would be valuable antiques these days, yet then they would have
been common place. Even more collectible are these naval signal lamps.
At Bisley, the world famous rifle range, we see here the very young
Master Hyde, the smallest boy to ever shoot full-bore there at 4 foot. He shot for
Rugby. This naval person is getting quite comfortable as he settles down behind his brand
new Maxim gun for a photo and a spot of target practice. This Maxim
gun is fixed to the very latest Dunonald Gun carriage. Away from
weapons, many of these tools in this chippies shop afloat are still
in use today and many of the skills still alive.

Not a gun, but most certainly a weapon, and at this time it was one of the very
latest, is the WHITEHEAD TORPEDO.

This looks like the Royal Horse Artillery, at the Royal
Tournament, while this is a 9pr. R.M.L. field gun in a naval landing
party, from HMS Camperdown; note the "iron sights." The gun seen here is a 12pr. field artillery piece of an unknown regiment. Horses too had to
be trained, that is to lay down in the line of fire and act as cover for a dismounted
Calvary man to shoot over it !! Seen here is just that with a
Martini-Henry Carbine.